Wilmington condos denied marina

Bull River Bluff Condominiums on Wilmington Island isn't getting the marina its owners want, at least not yet.Last week the state panel that evaluates structures built in the salt marsh denied a permit to the 144-unit condo off Johnny Mercer, mainly because the planned walkway out to the marina was too long.Guidelines for the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee call for walkways to come in under 1,000 feet in length. This one was 1,056 feet. That's more than three football fields long.The state panel can exercise its discretion and allow a walkway over the limit, but this time it stuck with the staff's recommendation to just say no.Bull River Bluff Properties was represented by 24K Professional Services at last week's meeting in Richmond Hill. The agent argued that the condos originally proposed a walkway of acceptable length -- 950 feet. It only shifted to the longer length to satisfy the Department of Natural Resource's requirement not to impinge on its adjacent neighbors' rights. Still, too long, was too long. The denial was a win for the Southern Environmental Law Center, which has long fought proliferation of ever-expanding docks in coastal Georgia. "It was great," said SELC staff attorney Nate Hunt. "Hopefully we had something to do with it. We made several comments telling (Coastal Resources Division) to do their job and deny the permit." Docks shade the marsh beneath them and some, depending on their orientation, seem to promote the accumulation of dead marsh grass around them. The cumulative effects of so many docks and other structures in the marsh is not clear. DNR staffer John Wynne said even though the project was denied, the applicant always has the right to come back with a revised plan.